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rouge21_gw

These sunflowers require too much water

As each summer seems to be getting hotter and drier I am getting very frustrated with plants requiring too much water too often to look half decent.

Of course there are some obvious water hogs but I have been surprised by two "grassland" perennials also requiring lots of water:

- Heliopsis "Prairie Sunset"

- Rudbeckia "Triloba"

Have others found similarly with these two 'sunflowers'?

Comments (19)

  • david883
    11 years ago

    My heliopsis look PATHETIC if I don't constantly water them. And with the increasingly hot, humid and dry summer this year.... I'm watering them constantly

  • aachenelf z5 Mpls
    11 years ago

    Triloba seems to like a decent amount of water before it flowers, but once the flowers start I wouldn't consider it a water hog.

    Every noticed how the foliage of this one undergoes a transformation? It starts out looking one way and ends up as something totally different? Hard to explain unless you grow it and observe it.

    Kevin

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Kevin, I planted a "Triloba" in August of 2011 and I am expecting flowers not till...late...July? But so far during this dry summer if I don't water it every other day it looks terrible.

  • Campanula UK Z8
    11 years ago

    Oh yes indeed. 'Prairie' planting was a massive trend in the UK and, coming from grassy and arid east anglia, I thought that would be just the ticket. Sandy, stony soil didn't help much either. Heleniums and just about all the rudbeckias require a much deeper and moister soil than mine (and 'Herbstonne is the worst) so consequently, much time is spent watering this bed....which, by a horrid irony, is at the opposite end of the allotment from the tap (hosepipes are frowned upon unless it is for potatoes - mere flowers are fripperies).)

  • aachenelf z5 Mpls
    11 years ago

    Do you have your triloba in full, baking sun? Mine seems to do best with at least some shade. That's the reason I love this plant so much - it takes shade. Some shade, not total shade. Normally I do see some wilting during the hottest part of the day, but this year I haven't seen any. Once again I attribute this to the thick leaf mulch I put down. We've had almost no rain in several weeks and of course just went through that heat wave.

    Yes, I would suspect mine will start blooming towards the end of July which is a little bit early this year. Normally I wouldn't see flowers until some time well into August.

    Kevin

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    You probably already know this, but a lot of plants that are wilty in the heat of the day will perk up later. It's just a survival mechanism, reducing the amount of foliage for the sun to bake and/or the plants simply can't take up water as fast as it is transpiring, even though the soil may be moist. Both theories exist and may apply in different degrees to different types of plants. Either way, adding more water if it's just afternoon wilt can cause more wilt, the overwatering kind where the roots are rotting.

    First thing in the morning is the best time to check for wilt, IMO. Good point about mulch, Kevin. Are there any big trees nearby? Those can really steal your moisture.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    purpleinopp wrote: First thing in the morning is the best time to check for wilt,.

    For sure good advice.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Kevin wrote: Every noticed how the foliage of this one undergoes a transformation? It starts out looking one way and ends up as something totally different? Hard to explain unless you grow it and observe it.

    I just noticed this 'event' this morning. It is so cool. From 3 'sectioned' leaf (trilobe?) to what appears for be your garden variety one part 'pointy' leaf. Amazing. Thanks for that Kevin.

  • aachenelf z5 Mpls
    11 years ago

    I'm happy you noticed that.

    It took me years to figure this out. I can remember thinking in early spring: "What happened to my trioloba? It was right there last year. And where did all those big, coarse looking weeds come from?"

    I bet I pulled a lot of these out thinking they were weeds. At some point I started to have my suspicions and began watching these "weeds" progress through the season. Off hand, I can't think of another garden plant that does this.

    Kevin

  • eclecticcottage
    11 years ago

    I noticed my Rudbeckia Cherry Brandy and Cherokee Sunset both wilt in the full sun locations but seem ok in part sun. Which is a bummer because I wanted to plant more in a new bed that is definately full, day long sun. Oh well.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I always think of Rudbeckias as prairie grassland plants and so should be able to cope with dry conditions...but not so for many. I am tired of watering plants that I think shouldnt need watering!

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    If it's been less than a year since you planted them, they're still in the early stages of getting settled in. Sleep, creep, leap...

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    purpleinopp wrote: If it's been less than a year since you planted them, they're still in the early stages of getting settled in. Sleep, creep, leap...

    This may well be true for true perennials but the plant in question (Triloba) is for sure not a reliable perennial but of course reseeds very easily so Triloba must do all its 'stuff' in one or maybe 2 years maximum.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    Nevermind that then, I didn't know that about this plant, just that my Mom always has them. They are in a patch, maybe shading each others' roots? It IS frustrating to have to spend your plant time with the hose, sorry.

    Doh! - Homer Simpson

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    No problem at all purpleinopp. These hotter and drier summers do make me so appreciate good looking perennials that can get by with less water.

    And for these triloba I have, 2 of the plants are ones that I have never seen in person before ie triloba 'prairie glow'. If I can just keep them quenched until the flowers come ;).

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    11 years ago

    I've been growing Heliopsis 'Midwest Dreams' this year for the first time. I just assumed it was drought tolerant because it looks so much like many other drought tolerant daisy like plants, but I have been surprised that it really needs watering more than other plants in my drought tolerant bed.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    After your post I looked up 'Midwest Dreams'. That is an excellent looking flower that contrasts wonderfully with its foliage. Has it started flowering for you?

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    11 years ago

    Yes, and it started growing and flowering very quickly after planting. I don't find it as upright as I would like, but the flowers are pretty and some are even double. We have barely had rain and I try to water the base of the plants in the bed, and it was only twice I used a sprinkler when I didn't have time and they flopped some. I have to wonder how they would look if it rained a lot this year. More flopping? It is it's first year, and I wait to decide whether I love them or not until after a plant is established. So the jury is still out.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    prairiemoon2, I know that you intend to give it another year at least but depending on the characteristics you want for a Heliopsis right now I highly recommend 'Tuscan Sun'. Earlier this spring I was looking for a recommendation for a sunflower which is floriferous through the summer but (much) less tall than many other sunflower plants. Someone on GW mentioned this particular Heliopsis. And as I have already written in other threads and will likely write again when the summer is over TS is a bloom machine which even in its first year in a very full sun location has not needed much supplemental water. So *thus far* it is my favourite new plant in my garden (I have planted *5* of them as part of a border).

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